The goal for every small business is to become a household, recognizable name. Luckily, thanks to technology, that is easier than you might think. Proper branding is just the first step to becoming a recognizable name. The next step is opening your business up to the world of having a digital presence. As a marketing agency, we know these are four marketing tactics every business needs, and when implemented correctly, you will benefit from the efforts.
Proper Branding
Branding your business is one of the first steps to becoming a recognizable brand. Branding involves developing a logo, a name and messaging that supports it all. A strong, visually appealing logo is one of the best tools to strengthen your brand. Using a visual queue to represent your company enables your audience to recognize you. Messaging is a creative way to tell your customer what you do and who you are. A business can have an arsenal of strong messages they use to support their marketing needs. If you decide to have multiple messages, they have to relate to each other and reflect who you are as a business. Once you develop a notable logo and strong messaging, you’re ready to integrate that into different marketing strategies.
Social Media Marketing
Social media can seem daunting at first. There are so many social networks to join, and keeping up with the content on all platforms can be overwhelming. You’re not alone in thinking that. Start your social venture by picking the right platforms. Think about the content you will be posting and where your audience spends their time. If you’re in the food production industry, a Pinterest or Instagram account that allows you to post photos with recipes may be the best fit. If you’re in manufacturing and looking to connect with other professionals, LinkedIn would enable you to post industry updates and blog posts to a relevant audience.
After you’ve chosen your platforms, you have to decide what you’d like to say to your audience and how often you’d like to say it. Consistency is key! Don’t start by posting every day for the first two weeks, then go dormant for the next two because you’ve run out of content. Two to three posts a week is plenty when starting. Once you’ve built a following on one platform, growing your audience on another will come quickly. A strong social media presence helps legitimize your business and builds brand awareness while also giving you a starting point for digital advertising.
Content Marketing
Content marketing is working with different forms of content and platforms to increase audience engagement. From your website content to your blog and Google My Business, content marketing allows your viewers to find you when they are looking. There are many ways to implement content marketing. Marketing strategies like email marketing, blogging, and SEO are all included as content marketing. Content marketing allows you to get your message across to your audience via multiple channels. Research shows that some customers have to see your name and message up to seven times before it really sinks in. When a customer recognizes your brand and message, they are more likely to engage with your product or service. Never underestimate the power of well-written content. It builds a relationship with your audience and keeps them coming back for more.
Digital Marketing
There are multiple ways to market yourself in the digital world. One strategy is to use digital advertisements on social media and Google to increase your reach and exposure. These ads will grow your brand awareness and push customers further into the sales funnel. Websites are an integral part of digital ads and are a hub for those seeking more information on your brand and business. We call them landing pages for digital ads, and their purpose is to showcase the offering, tell a story and answer any questions customers may have. If a customer is intrigued by an ad, they will travel to your website for more information or make a purchase.
Your website is also a space to implement content marketing to utilize search engine optimization or SEO. Optimizing your content increases your standing in Google search results. Focusing on SEO will ensure that your website or digital content will pop up first when someone searches for it. There are plenty of digital marketing tools that you can use to increase your customer engagement.
Using any of the tools above will differentiate you from your competitors. We spent time developing this content because we know these are four marketing tactics every business needs. The goal with marketing is to increase your recognition and grow your business, and these tactics will allow you to do just that.
For more marketing tips and tricks, subscribe to our monthly newsletter, The Creative.